<!DOCTYPE html>
<html>
<head>
<meta charset="UTF-8">
<title>A Shit Show As It Always Been by Unfriendlypairofeyes123</title>
<style type="text/css">

body { background-color: #ffffff; }
.CI {
text-align:center;
margin-top:0px;
margin-bottom:0px;
padding:0px;
}
.center   {text-align: center;}
.cover    {text-align: center;}
.full     {width: 100%; }
.quarter  {width: 25%; }
.smcap    {font-variant: small-caps;}
.u        {text-decoration: underline;}
.bold     {font-weight: bold;}
</style>
</head>
<body>
<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/25538107">A Shit Show As It Always Been</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/Unfriendlypairofeyes123/pseuds/Unfriendlypairofeyes123'>Unfriendlypairofeyes123</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>L.A. By Night (Web Series), Vampire: The Masquerade, Vampire: The Masquerade – Bloodlines (Video Game), World of Darkness (Games)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Action/Adventure, Blood Drinking, Blood Magic, Blood and Gore, Body Horror, Dancing, Dark Comedy, Fallout Video Game References, Female Anti-Hero, Gallows Humor, Gen, Humor, Mind Control, Nostalgia, Not Serious, Past Torture</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>In-Progress</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-08-01</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2021-03-18</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-05 09:20:57</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Mature</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Graphic Depictions Of Violence</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>2</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>12,108</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/25538107</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/Unfriendlypairofeyes123/pseuds/Unfriendlypairofeyes123</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>After the events of the first game, Joanne Milter (the fledgling Tremere) fleed Los Angeles for her freedom and independence, having no desire to put up with vampire politics. With her close vampiric friend passed away and another went into torpor, the problems of New York City becomes too overwhelming, and finally left it behind. In early 2019, with nowhere else to go and a business she needs to take care of shortly for a certain friend, she has decided to crash somewhere in California once again. It didn't take long to find out how everything in California is basically burning down to the ground because of the fight between the Anarchs and the Camarilla.</p><p>Oh well, it was always burning... </p><p>(Some mentions of the Clan Quest Mod, mildly Coteries of New York, and LA by Night.)</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>12</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. Chapter 1</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>I got pretty bored and I decided to do this. Honestly, I just thought it will be kinda funny to see someone like Joanne comes in and see how things are going after she left. I have been watching the show and there's like two episodes left for me to watch. I started this story around season two but never finished it until now since I had no idea where the fuck can I drop the girl off without breaking the entire show. I thought the party was a good way for Joanne to come by and not interrupt the main story of LA by Night. I dunno, it's just some goofy story I thought it was funny.</p><p>I also have no idea what Tremeres are like for members who don't want to be part of Camarilla (and not part of the Anarchs or Sabbat) but still loyal to the clan nevertheless, but I took an educated guess and this was the result I got from my research of them. I like to think it's a weird grey line (depending on how useful you are to the clan), just don't go too far enough where you're hated by the clan and you should be ok but don't expect the clan to protect you or give you anything after ditching one of their vows. Clan Tremere has always been one of my favorite clans in VTM, I dunno why.</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Looking up at the lights from the building glowing the city up during the night and the palm trees standing tall on the sideway from the window view, she steadily watches hundreds, if not thousands of humans walking down the sideways reaching their planned destination. The streets of Hollywood bring her back some memories, both in her early Kindred and human life.</p><p>She was so amazed by the pure sight of the city when she first arrived, it was almost like she was in her own little movie when she was human. Sure, she wasted a good amount of money just to reach here, coming from a small town in Washington with the small cash she got but her first college party that she spent was worth everything in the world. It was the place where she met him for the first time and it was the last place where she will ever be human again.</p><p>Now, all she can remember much about Hollywood was how she was forced to run errands all across the world by everyone and their moms and their moms' moms. Not to mention where her old friend finally found her after all those nights ago. She hated seeing her go, Samantha was always so noisy but it was the time where she wanted to scream out from the top of her lungs and tell her everything. It broke her to look into her sorrowful eyes, knowing she loses so much sleep to just track her down. She left her with so many questions, too afraid to dominate at the time. She only met up with Samantha one last time in her motel room before she left California, only to force her to believe she was long dead and her body cannot be found. Her friend seems to be happier now with her new life as a police detective and her beloved husband, but she cannot help but wonder what could've happened between the two if that night never happened.</p><p>It doesn't matter anymore, whatever happened between the two was fifteen years ago now. She manages to handle herself well since she blew up the Venture tower with that power-hungry asshole, LaCroix, and flipping the anarchs off. She was done doing everyone's job, she has shown many times she was much more capable to deal with this new life of hers on her own terms, and seeing how practically every Kindred that night broke the Masquerade (herself included) was more than enough to tell her to get out of the city as fast as she can before a massive group of hunters starts visiting L.A more often.</p><p>The only thing that was hard to leave was the pyramid, she was loyal to the clan of course. She never told anyone about the mystery of the clan and gives some useful information she digs up even to this day when House Tremere has been falling apart slowly after hearing the bad news around 2008. There was nothing else out there for her from the time being but the clan and to learn more about the clan discipline was surely worthwhile. However, with her disgust and reputation both to the Camarilla and the Anarchs, she believed the only thing she can do was to hide from everyone in the world. She wanted to study things that outside the boundary that the chantry will ever allow her. All she can do was politely apologizes for her actions and promise to be loyal to the clan.</p><p>It took her around 2017 to finally go to New York City for once after taking care of business about the mafia and some cult. New York was where she met some real vampire friends. A powerful Gangrel was a goth during the eighties and later turned at the age of eighteen after leaving from her homecoming dance, she was amazed that the Gangrel has only been surviving from animals and blood packs for so long. The Gangrel was running a little internet show about reviewing music and books. The channel was small but that was ideal. She loved talking crap about YouTubers with Joanne.</p><p>There was also a fledgling Anarch Toreador (she acted more of a Brujah, to be honest) who wanted to live side by side with humans without ruling them. The Gangrel and her never agreed with her views but they still cared about her. Joanne in the meanwhile, just did what she felt like. She went exploring around New York and taking odd jobs after blowing her load from Las Vegas. They lived side by side after those years and it was peaceful after what happened to Joanne. When it was the year of 2018, it all shifted into madness.</p><p>The Toreador was killed from a blood hunt and the Gangrel sleeping somewhere after diableries her blood sister in a public area where many humans were watching, hiding from the rest of the world where only Joanne can ever know.</p><p>Joanne was the only one that came out alive again and not wanted but she was all alone again. She really didn't have any friends, well not real friends to turn back to. New York City became irritating to deal with the Prince of Hardass about the issue with the Gangrel, explaining about almost every detail that happened in the conviction and promise her that she stay away from the spotlight once the humans forget about all this. She was running out of patience and became much clearer when the thin-bloods visit her about some issues they're dealing with. She knew it was time to leave the city for a good while.</p><p>Joanne packed up all things and stayed in New Jersey for a bit, looking for anywhere to go. She did not want to stay in New Jersey for more than at least three days after pissing off some powerful vampire because of a mafia.</p><p>The Lasombra, a Middle-Eastern woman with a clean suit and cane who seems to know too many things going on in the world, came into her room one day. That woman was undoubtedly powerful than most kindred she dealt with and for whatever reason, she's always there with her, watching her every move and waiting for something. The woman has a shady business going on with selective young Kindreds and always hearing alarming things surrounding her but that lady has helped her big time in the past. Of course, she knows she wants something from her in return and there was business between her sire and her before her embrace but she has never asked her anything after all these years. She just watches her and gives her little advice before she sinks deeper into the darkness with that creepy smile.</p><p>Seeing the Lasombra with that chilling grin and daze eyes standing before her, she spoke to her with her soft-voice about a little boon to do. It was a simple job for her to do, she even gave her the address of the location he'll be in and what he looks like. It was some talisman that the Lasombra wants to deliver to a "friend" of hers and believe Joanne was the most suitable for a simple mission. After she finishes the job, Joanne can leave whenever she pleases until otherwise.</p><p>As much she wanted to decline the job, never step foot in California ever again after what has happened to her but she knew better to do that. This was the first boon the Lasombra has given to her over fifteen years and it wouldn't be the last. If she even thought about declining it, she was good as dead anyway. She nodded, agreeing to the offer, and quickly prepare herself for California as the Lasombra disappears into the darkness.</p><p>Staring out of the window, everything in her body is telling her she is making a big mistake for coming back here. She lost a good chunk of her humanity here, not knowing what to do or how to deal with her vampiric life at the time. It was hard for her to come to her senses and getting her humanity again. She managed to deal with it better nowadays, most likely because of her experience.</p><p>"You know," The long black-haired woman pulls the car window down and blows the smoke from her breath, "I didn't ask to be in this lifestyle just to watch my favorite franchise slowly decaying in front of my eyes."</p><p>A pretty red-haired woman widened her eyes, realizing what was happening as she holds on to the car wheel tightly. The woman rolls her eyes and mumbled to herself, "Oh god, not this again..."</p><p>"I mean seriously, I was <em>trying </em>to be optimistic when the third game came since it's been so damn long since then and what the hell was I going to do? <em> Not </em> buy the game? Then when I actually played it." She removed the shades and rubs her glowing green eyes, "It was the most tragic thing that has ever happened to me, it wasn't even a fucking RPG, it was a first-person shooter now! But the new folks wouldn't know the difference! They never played the first two games! They don’t even know what RPG is, man! Apparently, it's ‘too outdated’ for those normies."</p><p>The Toreador questioned her, "Did you actually say ‘normies’ unironically?" She sighed, "And I thought the Nosferatus were bad."</p><p>She ignored and continues her rant, "The side game was kinda cool though, but only because it was made by the people who know what RPG actually looks like. Plus some of the creators of the first two games were in the development. I thought, ‘Maybe, the franchise isn't fucked after all.’ and then I saw the fourth fucking game, and I literally almost frenzied when I finished it."</p><p>"You almost frenzied because the game wasn't good enough for your standards?"</p><p>Joanne looked deeply into the driver, "Yes."</p><p>The driver sighed, "That's sad."</p><p>"I take the games <em>very</em> seriously. It's the only thing I can escape my life for a short time without breaking the Masquerade. Don't judge me!" She puts the rounded metal shades back on. These glasses always made it hard for her to see well, but a small price she can pay. "Oh and don't even get me to start it with that broken piece of shit MMO! I'm not buying that piece of shit, not ever! I was the first person to call that shit out before it was out and I was super right! Seriously, what the hell are they doing in there? And how come they're getting a lot of money out of it!" Joanne leans back on the car until something came into her mind, she snaps her finger to the Toreador, "I bet there's a Ventrue running this whole business, obviously. I bet Todd Howard <em>is</em> a Ventrue. C'mon, think about it, man! Don't you think it's weird how people just cheer on the bullshit promises he makes up? Now I know why the games are crap."</p><p>The car stopped at Joanne's destination and the driver turned to Joanne, "Just get out of my car, I don't care about your stupid nerd games."</p><p>"Yeah, well fuck you too, Katie. Your artwork is retarded and pretentious just like all modern art is. See ya tomorrow." She quickly leaves out of the car and slams the door closed. She watches Katie drives off rapidly and mumbled under her breath, “Bitch.”</p><p>She threw the cigarette on the ground and start walking around among the humans in the land of Hollywood. The last time she remembered, Isaac Abrams own this land apparently. She didn’t bother to research what’s happening in Hollywood. This is an in-out kind of mission, she had enough of California bull shit for a lifetime and she didn’t want to end up running into that dollar store hooker named 'Velvet Velour' for too long (especially after what she did that one night with the Kuei-jin). There was also the Nosferatus are hiding under it as well, it will be nice for her to see Mitnick again since the two have a good relationship. They chat with one another somewhere hidden enough on the internet. He told her that they don’t even work for Camarilla anymore which makes it even better to see him. Maybe she can take one visit to him and then get the hell out of here once she’s done with this business.</p><p>“<em>At least there would be someone who can understand the problem with the newer Fallouts.’ </em>She spotted a massive red carpet party happening from the distance, people screaming from the top of theirs to the single sight of a big name person and paparazzi impatiently taking their photos and asking them several unimportant questions. She will never get how people can just worship celebrities as if they were God themselves, especially to boring and untalented humans. She was watching two individuals walking inside the building from a distance. Both looked like Kindred with how naturally pale they were and seeing the colors of their auras pale compare to the humans. One was a bald man talking about some album release with security guards on him and another riding a scooter was a long curly-haired man with...a dress and pants on? Joanne chuckled at the sight, guessing that particular Kindred to be Malkavian due to their wild behavior. She turned around to see the street signs, and then the sheet of paper with the address she was given. <em>‘Apparently, this is it, I guess... Now, how do I get in?’</em></p><p>
  <b>...</b>
</p><p>Who would've known it will be quite easy to be crash a celebrity party? All it took was some hacking, lockpicking, using vampiric senses, and threatening to kill their wife and children with her pistol if they don't let her inside the party without an invitation. She wasn’t really planning to be here too long, everyone here looked pretty square for her speed. No one hasn't overdosed on cocaine yet. The place was undoubtedly nice and fancy, a bit too much for her taste but that’s because she used to the dirty side of the neighborhood. Her greatest critique against the place was the horrible taste of music—it needed more heavy metal or funk around here to groove to—and the mirrors, too many mirrors. It was almost like they were sniffing out all the Lasombras around here and those like herself who are unfortunate enough to lose their reflection, suffering the same effects as the Lasombras.</p><p>She groaned to herself and shifting through the crowd, <em> ‘One of these days, I’m going to kill that bitch with my bare hands for what she has done to me.’ </em></p><p>Her wardrobe was very out of place with the black cotton trenchcoat, a simple t-shirt, jean pants, and combat boots as everyone wore formal dresses and suits, even the one guy wore dress pants under his nice dress. However, she always looked out of place wherever she goes so it didn’t bother her and this ain’t her first rodeo. She is, however, hoping the people from her early Kindred days (especially V.V) doesn't recognize her new look and tries to hide among the crowd from people she recognizes like Nines Rodriguez after flipping him off (she's not apologizing).</p><p>She scans around the room with her human eyesight, not risking using her vampiric senses with the loud music bumping in the room, hoping to see the young black man that the lady informed about. His name was Joshua Davidson or so he called himself that. He was one of her clan and was part of the Anarchs, an uncommon sight honestly, so it was no doubt he will be around this location since this was Anarchy state. She can only hope now that he didn’t snitch to the other Anarchs that she was coming here. That will be like a Tremere code violation. She’s just wanted to get in and get out, no politics involved.</p><p>She walked to the bar and grabbed a bottle of the fancy beer, she chugs the beer even though she’s aware it wouldn’t do much to her system without blood in it. It was just the thought of it made her feel good about it. Some normalcy never hurts anyone.</p><p>Someone tapped on her shoulder gently and she rotated her body to face the person. Unfortunately, it was her adopted parents who were waiting for her rebellious phase to end and finally come home one day. Her sire’s old friends from the chantry, both are magisters.</p><p>“Oh my goodness, Harold.” The red long-haired woman with her long glittering dress stared at the gloomy man with an old brand of glasses with disgust across her face, “Look what happened to the poor girl. We leave you alone for two years and look at you.” She grabbed onto Joanne’s chin and examining every facial flaw on her, “Geez, what happened to you?”</p><p>Joanne rolled her eyes, “None of your business, <em> mom</em>.”</p><p>“She doesn’t look <em> that </em> bad, Peggy.” He quickly sips down on his wine glass of blood and pats the woman on the back. Joanne smells a hint of alcohol whiffs in the blood, she smiles a little to herself. “At least she still looks human enough to blend in as long as no one takes another look at her.”</p><p>“Human enough? She looks deader than we do, a hunter can see that a mile away!” She looked at Joanne, “Don’t tell me you did this to yourself.”</p><p>Joanne sighed, “I didn’t! Listen, I don’t have time for this. What the hell are you two doing here anyway?” She leans closer to them and whispered, “You guys are part of the Camarilla! Unless you guys decided to switch teams as well, man.”</p><p>The woman pressed her hand against her chest and chuckled, “Heavens no! We’re just here and watching how the new ‘Baron’ of Hollywood is doing since this concerns us, Tremeres over in Hollywood.”</p><p>‘<em>I should’ve known better and just get information about the city anyway before coming here. What an amateur move, me.’</em> Joanne just smiles and questions, “Who’s the new Bacon? I thought Abrams owe this joint or that’s old news?”</p><p>“This woman named Nelli, a fashion designer.” Harold nods towards the bright colored glass dancefloor over the pool area. Joanne spotted the jet black long-haired woman with a sparkly red hat with big red sunglasses dancing around with an Asian woman with half of her hair. She was pretty as any other Toreador usually is. “She’s a Toreador as well as you can see.”</p><p>Joanne raised her eyebrow, “Why her though? Why not, that Bitchface Velvet of his? Surely, not his childe Ash, whatever happened to him. I thought they were tight.” She slowly grew a sinister smile and begin to laugh, “Unless they wouldn't as close as they make it to be.”</p><p>Peggy nodded and flipped her hair to the side, “I have no idea, but our regent is supposed to make amends with her to keep us at our home. Although...” She pointed to the albino woman smiling in daze eyes with the red dress dancing on the dancefloor with the man with the dress pants from the entrance, “Her childe is here.”</p><p>Joanne’s eyes widen from the sight and she just blurts out the first thing that came into her mind, “Holy shit, she’s white!”</p><p>“Yes,” Peggy bobs her head, “Yes she is...”</p><p>Joanne examines the extreme case of her pale skin and her white hair. Something about her, it wasn’t right. It wasn’t normal, well besides the albinism. It just reminded her of when her skin turned from greyish pale skin due to the Embrace into an unnatural pale pastel mint green skin and forever lasting glowing eyes. “What happened to her? Unless she was just that white before the Embrace?”</p><p>Peggy sighed, “That is none of your concern, young lady. Perhaps if you were come back to Camarilla then maybe...”</p><p>Joanne rolled her eyes and shove her hands in her pockets, “Forget I ask then.”</p><p>“Don’t give me that attitude, lady! I have you know that Strauss happens to miss your presence as of lately.”</p><p>Joanne turned to Peggy in complete shock. Strauss missed her? Why? Was it how she finished the errands of the chantry in one second and everyone else took forever? Their relationship wasn’t exactly great enough to say they were friends, they were just in the same clan and he happened to be the kindest person out of everyone in the Camarilla who answered the questions of her new life. She still questioned his motives and beliefs on her when he sends her to that mission to Therese Voerman, nearly giving her post-trauma from the mental illusion she suffered from for almost three nights. But he also let her go in ease even after she blew up the Ventrue Tower due to her strong loyalty to the clan, but not the sect. He was just disappointed that she choose this ignorant path and didn’t allow her in the chantry anymore no matter where she goes until she was in the Camarilla again. She is also aware that she was being watched by these two to make sure she wasn’t doing anything against the clan. It was a fair and honest punishment for her and what she did. It could've been worse. She easily accepted that for the rest of her life and while it sucked to find materials for rituals or even discovering them and learn any other paths of Thaumaturgy was proved to be more difficult and time-consuming, she believed it was worth it and knew the cost of this freedom.</p><p>“Why?” That all she can come out of her lips from her confusion.</p><p>Peggy shrugged, “Perhaps you made quite of an impression on him back then and your exceptional gifts are needed in these troubling times. You <em> are </em> Duncan’s most impressive childe he ever had. It’s just a shame that someone so young and so great as you would just run away of their responsibilities on some nonsense journey of theirs.”</p><p>‘<em>Oh my gosh, it’s been like fifteen years since then. Let it go, you old farts.’ </em> She sighed, “I left for a reason, okay? I’m already been punished by the clan, no need for all that. I’ll come back when I come back, got it?” She scans around the room to find the man, clearly too annoyed to continue the conversation. “Do you know where Joshua Davidson is?”</p><p>“Last time I check he was around the dancefloor.” Before Peggy can say another word, Joanne quickly left the two alone at the bar. She did not need to hear another word from those two.</p><p>She approached a lonely black man standing at the dark corner of the dancefloor, watching everyone in the room. The man’s hair was slicked back clean and he was wearing a black suit to fit into the shadows.</p><p>“Yo, Joshua, right?” The man nodded, expecting her arrival. “I gotcha this for you.” Joanne opened up her trenchcoat and pulled the small silver talisman from her pocket. She remembered before coming here, she felt upon the item to receive some information about it. There was a strong sense of anger and hatred from its’ last use by the man and the confident and focus residue from the Lasombra, it only made her ponder what exactly went down with this object and what power it holds. “Your creation, correct?”</p><p>He grabbed the talisman gently and nodded, “Yes, it is. Thank you for returning this to me, I will do much use of this. I can also promise you that no one else is aware of our business, Ms. Milter.”</p><p>Just him telling her that no one else was aware made her suspicious of his actions. She just grins widely and leans closer to him, she stares directly into his mind and read the surface of his thoughts and emotions. The Beast growls for a bit until she hushes it just for a little longer. It seems that he truly believes that no one else is listening in and that Nelli isn't even aware he's even here in the first place. The Lasombra sent him here to observe a certain Anarch coterie that is of interest to her and return his talisman by the one and only Joanne. The person he wanted to meet her this whole time. It gave Joanne a better idea of what was this really about but she still had her questions. She leans back and finally asked him, “Huh, are you sure? I know you turned Anarch not too long ago. How can I be sure if I can honestly trust that and this is not some trap?”</p><p>“A’idah gave me strict orders of my work and promise a reward for it; my interest in the Anarch Movement has little to nothing with this.” He smiles a little, “But I heard you were once Anarch.”</p><p>She chuckled and looked away, so this is what he wanted to meet her about? “Yeah, well that was before I was in the chantry. Being inside of it gives you a new perspective of things and surprisingly brought me back a little of my old roots. I didn’t have that bottle of rage as they have and most of them were Brujah at the time. I mean I got rage but it wasn’t the same. It’s been too long ago to give a shit about the movement now and besides, they got—.” She paused for a second, figuring a better word for a certain type of group, “Well, in the nicest way possible, they got a good certain type of people that I can’t stay in the same room without blowing ‘em up inside the building and watching them in tears as I pull a chair and eat some popcorn.”</p><p>“What a shame, you’ve been one of the most powerful people in the movement. The Camarilla would have to think twice coming after us with you around and House Ipsissimus would be quite excited to have you.”</p><p>“I like my freedom, man but I ain’t no anarchist. Also, I like exploring around and seeing weird shit. I just want to be left alone, that's really it.” Joanne pours the rest of the bottle of beer on the floor, making a mess, and grabbed one of the blood bags from her trenchcoat. She took her time busting inside the joint, she may as well enjoy the party for a bit until she’s caught. Joanne waited for the crowd from the dance floor to stop cheering someone's name, X, as the person with dress pants was doing a moonwalk. She grins at the sight. That dress pants guy has to be the highlight of this whole party for her. “So...how’s anarchy in California? Chaotic as usual?”</p><p>“Well, I can safely say it never gets boring here, that’s for sure.”</p><p>She pours the blood inside the bottle, “Oh my, tell me the juice. I do need a good laugh before I go.”</p><p>“Well, we’re in a truce with Camarilla for now. No doubt we’re going to war with them very soon though.”</p><p>She threw the blood bag on the ground and drink her bottle, “Who made the truce?”</p><p>“Apparently, Strauss and Victor Temple.”</p><p>Joanne nearly spit her drink out, “<em>Strauss?</em> Strauss agree to the truce?!” He nodded and quickly looking at his surroundings.</p><p>Joanne stands there, her hand running through her hair and staring at the distance to think quickly, ‘<em>Is that why Strauss may want to see me again? Maybe fight against the anarchs? I mean, I don't hate the idea of seeing Strauss again. I should, I really should but...'</em> Joanne took a deep breath. A small part of her mind whispers into her ear, maybe she shouldn't have left the Camarilla after all. Her clan needs her and she can't just leave them alone. She shook her head, leaving the Cam was the best decision she made in her life after what they did to her sire. Just because the clan needs her doesn't mean she needs to be in Camarilla to help and this is the best time to <em>not</em> be in Camarilla with how split the pyramid is. She can do whatever she wants, she doesn't need to see him again anymore but that small doubt still sinks deep inside of her. <em>'I</em><em> dunno. Well, I’m not participating in that crap. I hate politics.’</em></p><p>She took another deep breath, trying to shake off the bad thoughts. “Geez... Who’s this Victor guy though? Is he cool?”</p><p>“He’s the Baron of the Valley, I heard he was making some problems dealing with the Masquerade and possibly doing some dealing with thin-bloods but I’m still getting my bearings around here. He’s...” The guy rolled his eyes, “Obviously Ventrue if you visited his club. He is friends with the new Baron of Hollywood, Nelli, and a couple of others. This is her party after all, how did you get in without her detection?”</p><p>Joanne chortled, “I got my ways.”</p><p>“Well, you may see him around on the internet, he is quite famous. I’m surprised you haven’t heard of him.”</p><p>“Eh, I don’t care about celebrities. I only care about them if there’s something weird going on with them or that I can mess with them somehow." Joanne started laughing, "I remember I mind control someone to make a video of that suicide forest, that was hilarious. I’m too busy with my underground world to care these days, plus I happened to be very busy doing some fan rage to my favorite franchise as of recently.”</p><p>“In other words, you just been dicking around all these years after blowing up the tower?”</p><p>She nodded rapidly with a proud grin, “Hell yeah.” It was part of the truth, she took a couple of years to dick around with people but she was doing some important business that no one needs to know.</p><p>He shook his head, “I have no idea what A’idah sees in you, but I will not question her decision.” He drinks from his cup, “Also, there’s the new leader of our movement.”</p><p>“Cool, cool. Who is it?”</p><p>“Her name is Annabelle, that woman right there.” He pointed to the Asian woman she saw on the dancefloor talking to a group of people.</p><p>“Let me take a wild guess: She’s Brujah.”</p><p>He chuckled, “I think it’s like an unwritten law that they have to be a leader with these types of things.”</p><p>“Who else going to be the one to bitch? Ain’t us, that’s for sure.”</p><p>“Well, I know she’s protecting the thin-bloods.”</p><p>She chugged the drink, “Good, I kinda hate seeing them bullying around because they’re weak. It’s probably a smart idea too. Always befriend that one quiet kid before they shoot up the school.”</p><p>“Jesus Christ,” He blurts out, “You have no filter with that mouth.”</p><p>“I stopped having one when I was Embrace, man.” She placed the empty bottle on the table, she spotted the extremely pale woman walking away as quickly as she can with a sad expression on her face. A good part of her wanted to run after her and wanted to know what she was about, what exactly happened to the poor girl before that she received that new look, or at least that's what Joanne wants to believe. Nines, V.V, Peggy, Harold. They all look beautiful during 2004 and still look like that to this day, but not Joanne. She didn't age so well. She still hasn't gotten over this new look yet, she thought she did but she truly hasn't. She once felt beautiful and confident about herself once she blows up the tower and rid off somewhere in Arizona with her Malkavian friend that she rescued from the Sabbat until that bitch stole it all from her. She can't even see how ugly she got, she has to imagine it now for all eternity until she's lucky enough to die like her stupid ass boyfriend.</p><p>She thought to herself, <em> ‘That can’t just be a thing. She was either albino before the embrace or </em> <em> she </em> <em> may have dealt </em> <em> with </em> <em> the same punishment almost like I have.’ </em> As the albino woman exit the party, Joanne looked back at the guy. She smirks a little, returning to the mask everyone sees her in. Just some young and yet strong wizard vampire with a clown suit. “Welp, I’ll be heading out, man. First, I’m going to have a little fun and then I’m out. Nice talking to you, man.”</p><p>He nodded, “You do well, Ms. Milter. Don’t get into too much trouble now.”</p><p>She grins widely, “No promises.”</p><p>Joanne steps to the glass dancefloor and slowly move to the music beating in the place, it was definitely not her taste but she needs to let go some stream before heading out. As she dances to the decent music for a couple of minutes, wanting more groovy music to shake up the place, she got a bright idea. Sure the Baron of Hollywood may hate it and may throw a fit, but—no, that’s exactly why she wanted to do it. It will be like a harmless prank and it would be memorable for the Anarchs and the media. Everyone gets to laugh, the Baron gets a mild heart attack for the first time in their undead life, someone is bound to be offended about it, and Joanne gets her grooves on. Overall, it sounded like a positive experience for everyone especially Joanne.</p><p>She walked towards the DJ with her sinister grin across her face and pulling her beloved CD with a cover of a hot pink car for situations like these from her trenchcoat. She has partially everything in this coat: drugs, blood bags, two pistols, a sawn-off shotgun, a box of pistol and shotgun ammo, some books, her notepad and her pen, her flip phone, her smartphone, telephones from the nineteenth century, more drugs, a portal to Hell. Hell, it even includes all of the cassette tapes from her favorite movie company, Catalina Video. It got everything. She stands in front of the man and flicking the CD, “Yo, my man, can you bump this?”</p><p>The DJ lifted his head and stared directly at Joanne, “Nah, I’m not taking requests today, sorry.”</p><p>She scans around the room, making sure no one was watching this. She lifts her shades from her eyes and looking into the DJ’s eyes, <b>“You will play this CD until it finishes.”</b></p><p>She quickly places her shades over her eyes as the DJ blinks for a while, recognizing his surroundings. He nodded and grabbed the CD from her hand, “Yeah, yeah man. You seem like you got good taste.”</p><p>“Damn skippy.” She laughed and walked to the dancefloor, <em> ‘Now, time to wait for the magic to happen.’ </em></p><p>She watches the crowd of people paused for a second, confused why the music stopped playing for a second. She looked directly at Nelli next to Victor who was puzzled about the situation, trying to hold into her laughter about what’s going to happen.</p><p>Suddenly the music blast out in the room with the little mumbles from a YouTuber she occasionally watched when she had the time, but damn she knew it pisses off some people and loved that fact about that in every ounce of her body. Sometimes, it feels good to be an asshole and ruining someone’s day.</p><p>‘<em>Well, there goes my humanity...’</em> She started swinging her hips to the rich rap music as soon as it repeats the brilliant lyrics of the generation echoes the fancy decorated room with “let me lick that little pussy”, “shut the fuck up, cunt”, "why are kids so stupid", and “PETA on my dick”. Such eloquent words gave Joanne joy from the bottom of her undead heart in a place like this, especially this is a party thrown by a Toreador.</p><p>The crowd for a second was completely confused and shock about the vulgar lyrics in such a party but shockingly some people started dancing with her towards the beats when the second song hit the room. Of course, some people were turning red when the third song with more offensive lyrics, but that’s the best part.</p><p>Joanne spotted Peggy and Harold trying to be appropriate in the party and pretending to be offended by lyrics, she knew they loved the fact she came here and put stupid shit in an important Anarch party. Honestly, she probably lightens up the party for them and it made her feel good to know that she may have done a little good for the clan.</p><p>She watches the two Barons losing their hair about the chosen music with a Nosferatu standing next to them and yelling at each other as Annabelle the leader of the movement apparently walks to them with confusion about it. As soon as the Barons walked to the DJ, looking like they about to throw a storm at him.</p><p>Joanne stopped dancing on the dancefloor and start running out of the place with laughter. She knows they’re going to mind-control the DJ and then ask who gave him the CD. ‘<em>They can keep that album, my treat! I got like six of ‘em bad boys at home!’</em></p><p>She ran around the place at her regular speed, aware that there are still humans roaming around the area. She accidentally bumped into someone's shoulder, slowing down her speed. She turned around and saw the nicely dressed male Nosferatu near the Barons. He looked at her with confusion. She gave him a giant smile and answered, "Nice hair, dude." And then she continues running from the scene, leaving the Nosferatu confused.</p><p>She went through the same back door the pale woman went and calls the blood to sprint out of the place, using her Celerity so it will be harder for any other Kindred to follow her. She doesn’t bother to look back to see who could be following her like that Baron Toreador or even that Brujah leader, or even worse, Nines Rodriguez who caught sight of her but she wasn’t taking any chances. She knows they're probably going to try to bust her head open for what she did, that's the usual reaction from a lot of people.</p><p>She reaches the back alley and continues running away from the party with her normal human speed, watching her back for any signs of any Kindred following her back. Eventually, she reaches a stopping point and just walks the street aimlessly, feeling the cold breeze rushing down on her skin.</p><p>
  <em>'Well, that was fun.'</em>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. Chapter 2</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>I'm going to be real with you: I have no idea what I'm doing with this story and it may be left unfinished. However, I did want to write a story with Joanne as the main character so whatever I guess.</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>You know your life is a chaotic mess when this Amazon delivery mission was the most predictable (or unpredictable by her standards) thing you have done in over fifteen years. Seriously, when she left the building, she was expecting a group of ninjas to pop out of nowhere and then having to fight Godzilla to get to the bus station. But no, instead there was no one waiting for her and just had a nice walk in the back alley. The strangest thing about it was the back alley blowjob between a prostitute and her client, but it was about eleven-thirty from her wristwatch, that’s no surprise.</p><p>It was a fun small adventure, she has admitted it. Ever since late 2017, she has been getting bored lately. Her old friends were great to be around, but they have other plans besides her and they never did anything too exciting that gives her an excuse to pull a shotgun and start subtracting. Her Gangrel friend, Minerva, was a painter and basically, the one who was paying the bills of the apartment (at least legally) and she has her YouTube account to worry about. Minerva was quite in a touch with her humanity to the point she fell in love with a certain human YouTuber, she painted images of him all the time (kinda creepy, but Joanne probably did worse) and was scared that the Beast will ruin her affection for him. She was always quite insecure about herself, always self-doubting about the quality of painting and videos. Sure, Joanne wasn’t an artist herself so she can’t dive into the mindset of one and she likes low-quality trash movies but her painting was excellent to stare at. Her videos were moderate for anyone who wanted to watch some decent videos. It wasn’t as bad as she makes it to be.</p><p>California sure has changed over the course of fifteen years though, at least the look of it. Everything looks even more crappy than it was before except the nice rich areas up on those hills, but that was to be expected. Wouldn't surprise Joanne if those Anarchs actually live in those houses while acting like they want to act upon the little people's interest. The same shit is happening back in New York, the Baron of New York is literally an old-timer from the early 1900s who wants the 'good o' days' back and pushes the neonates to do his bidding. And that other guy is a giant pussy who hides behind some woman when shit hits the fan. Now that doesn't sound too far off from the Camarilla tree they are supposed to be fighting against, in fact, that sounds worst than the Cam. The same atmosphere of Los Angeles still roams around the air somehow like it was in 2004, it’s probably the toxic waste to be honest, or the smoke from wildfires. California was known for that. No wonder people outside the state consider it a shit hole to be living in (at least the people she hangs out with) except for Florida, Florida is a rabbit hole full of eldritch horrors that she’s not ready to rip and tear yet. She needs at least ten years of training to prepare whatever hell hole they got.</p><p>They, unfortunately, tore down her favorite restaurant back in her human days near Issac’s old jewelry store. It was her doing, of course, both by convincing the annoying food critic to give a bad rating and killing off LaCroix to do any real investment to do anything with it. To be honest, it was worth it if that means the asshole dies. Instead, they replace it with a Starbucks, which may be questionable worse. Of course, these kinds of changes are to be expected in the vampire world but she wouldn’t know that it will change so quickly over the fifteen years. It doesn't feel like it has been fifteen years. She supposed that she wanted it to stay still in 2004 forever, but not everyone gets what they want. No need to cry over spilled milk.</p><p>Although, she will be lying to herself if she said she didn’t feel any nostalgia about being around here. It was sort of nice to see how the city is going these days with her own pair of eyes, she hates to admit that. She always wondered how the city was going these days after she left with the Masquerade being almost shattered into pieces since every vampire stopped caring about it for a second. It was going okay shockingly enough, at least for right now, especially with the Anarchs owning most of it. It makes her wonder how the people back then are doing these days (well except for Nines, she knew he's busy being the leader of the rejects begrudgingly) and if she’s going to ever bump into Jack again. Jack was cool, she got his viewpoint on the vampire politics a little and he was one of the reasons why she wanted to be part of the Anarchs in the first place.</p><p>The good news is that she wasn’t being followed by the Anarchs, she made sure that she wasn’t, and looks like Nines isn’t going to kick her ass after all. They probably didn’t discover it was her, at least not yet. She gives it about two or three days to figure it out, she’ll be out before one. The bad news is that Katie isn’t coming back to pick her up any time soon. She texted her several times on her flip phone as she was walking down the street, but she knew Katie was very pissed off this time from what she said. It wasn’t the first time she did this after all. One of these days she'll kill her over it.</p><p>She smiles to herself as she closes the phone, ‘Welp, I guess it’s the bus then.’</p><p>Buses can sometimes be a problem to her, crackheads come up to her because she looks like one of their daily hallucinations. Sometimes a few creeps like to lure around with malicious intent but it wasn’t anything she couldn’t take care of from a single stare plus free drinks. At worst but rare were lost abandoned Kindreds, most were young but too dumb to know how to pick their fights and try to attack her but she usually wins thanks to her shotgun.</p><p>She flops down on the street bench and opens up her trench coat, she grabs the pack of cigarettes and places a cigarette between her lips. She lit it up with her lighter, taking one good hit before releasing the smoke into the atmosphere as a truck honks to a small car for being in its' way. This was nice, the cars constantly honking at one another is a bit distracting but it was still nice to take all of this in for the moment without the Kindred politics roaming in her mind. It's always nice to mellow down every once in a while. The only thing she's missing was some underground jazzy music playing underneath everything. She forgot to bring her MP3 player with her to fix that little problem but oh well. The nightlife was always so peaceful to her even back in her human days, sure she missed the sunlight and everything but it wasn’t a significant loss to her. It was one of the reasons why she went out at night during her human time with her boyfriend despite her busy schedule. It was nice to watch this world shift its tone from the busy everyday work to this calm and relaxing tone. The only downfall about the night back in the day was the threat of being jumped by someone. Well, it was still a threat but it was no longer as big as it was back then. In fact, she more looks forward to it to get some easy and justifiable blood.</p><p>She turns around and notices the albino woman in the red dress from the party was sitting beside her. For how long she has been here, she doesn't really know. However, this was the woman she has been the most curious about throughout this night the moment Peggy mentioned her. This will be a perfect time to talk to her. She stood still, straying away from Joanne’s unnerving presence—mostly aware of what she is—and stared at the ground.</p><p>It's always something about Joanne that makes ordinary people and sometimes Kindred uncomfortable to be around her despite not even trying to and sometimes, she can use that as her advantage. Joanne blew another puff of smoke into the air, grew a wide grin on her face, revealing her fangs, and answered, “Hi there.” The woman tilts her head a little, staring at her up and down for a second, tightening her lips before returning her attention to the ground. Joanne ignored those details and pressed forward, “I have you know that you caught my sight at the party over there.” The woman nodded, “Nice dress by the way!”</p><p>“Thank you.” The woman finally answered with a soft voice.</p><p>Geez, this was going to be hard to crack and Joanne wasn’t really a charmer. Talking a lot doesn’t make someone charismatic. “Come here often?”</p><p>“The bus stop?”</p><p>Joanne paused for a second, “Yeah...?”</p><p>“No.”</p><p>Joanne bobbed her head and began to tap her foot, she had no idea how to make this conversation going. She pulled a fresh cigarette from the pack and handed it to her, “Wanna one?”</p><p>She shook her head, “No thank you.”</p><p>Joanne placed the cigarette back into the pack and her foot rapidly tapped to the ground. The awkward silence was killing her softly and she demanded an answer sooner or later. She has no idea what to do next so she was just going to go for it, “Okay, so what’s up with your skin?”</p><p>That question brought the albino woman’s full attention and furrow her eyebrows, “Excuse me?”</p><p>She finally realizes that asking about what’s wrong with someone’s skin tone is kinda a rude thing to do, but there was no stopping this train and she has done worse for less. “I mean, were you born with that before you were Embrace or something happened to you to become like that?”</p><p>The albino woman scooted over away from Joanne, “I don’t think that’s any of your concern.”</p><p>She nodded. She knew she was going out there with all raw, no rubber and she hated it. It was worth the try though. “I just wanted to ask because look,” Joanne pulled down her sleeve, revealing more of her greenish skin. “I got this Wicked Witch of the West vibes going on right now. You think I was born with this shit or I did this to myself? Fuck no, I would’ve chosen a prettier color than fucking green. I just wanted to say, if you were somehow changed into that, then you’re not alone especially for a fellow Tremere like myself.”</p><p>The woman nodded but looked away from her, leaving the strange conversation. Joanne leaned back to the bench and put her arm around it. She has tried all that she could, she could just pry into her mind but she didn’t want to start any enemies right now. She got lucky that Joshua wasn’t aware of what she did, perhaps because he was still too young to be aware of that or he simply allowed it but the woman may be harder to do so. If she didn’t want to talk, fine, whatever, it was her choice and her Anarch homies are probably going to back her up if she tried anything and take revenge for what she did at the party (she’s not sorry and she regrets nothing).</p><p>The woman twirled her head in Joanne’s direction, she finally spoke up while holding onto her phone tightly, “Did he also do that to you?”</p><p>Joanne glared down at the woman and raised her eyebrow, “Who?”</p><p>She looked down at the ground and scanned around, “I...I rather not say.”</p><p>Joanne nodded, “Understandable and I don’t know if I can tell you who it is either. You know, you may be working for her and I may be working for him. I get it. But I can say it wasn’t a he. It was a she and she is a huge bitch.”</p><p>The woman made a small chuckle, “I see…”</p><p>“Yeah, she…” She paused as she looked down at the ground and rubbing her hand, trying to suppress those dark memories. She told herself she wouldn't think of it ever again but it's still there, it's almost a part of her now, it is a part of her and she can't let it go. The pure confusion and terror wandering in her mind still lingers on for whatever her crime she has done to deserve such punishment. The taunts whisper into her ears from unknown horrors as she received another beating. How she was tied down to a pole to be left dead when the sun rises. The scars are still burning around her body, around her stomach area, around her arms. The voice is still there, waiting for the opportunity to take over. Her lack of reflection was to forever remind her of her 'caretaker' who may have put her into this madness in the first place. All of it is still there with her and the only thing she can do now is laugh it away, laugh the pain away until there's nothing more but a shell of her former self underneath it all. She finally answered in a softer voice, “She took a lot out of me. She stole everything I cared and loved and now I’m here in this shit hole of a city.”</p><p>The woman bobbed her head rapidly with a fixed look on her, “So did he.”</p><p>Joanne nodded, so she was changed into that look. It felt good to know she wasn’t the only person who unfortunately changed into something hardly recognizable to themselves. She lifts her voice up again with a small smile, “At least you’re not a borderline Masquerade breach. Albinoism is rare but normal by human standards. I’m on the cliff right now to just hide like the sewer rats and it’s only going to get worse than this, baby.”</p><p>“How?”</p><p>Not sure if she should spill all her beans into one can right now. “I’m—I just am, trust me.” The woman nodded, “What’s your name by the way? Just first name basics really or better yet, nicknames. You can call me…” She scanned around the area, “Joe, you can call me Joe.”</p><p>“E, just call me E.”</p><p>She bobbed her head, “E and Joe, sounds cool honestly. So, you’re part of the Anarchs? I know it was a party for the Baron and I doubt the Camarilla will be out there at least not announcing that they are. Plus you were dancing with them so there’s that.”</p><p>She shook her head, “I’m not an Anarch.”</p><p>Joanne mushed the leftover cigarette on the bench and toss it away, “Cam?”</p><p>She shook her head again, “I’m not that either.”</p><p>Joanne reaches to the trenchcoat where her shotgun lies discretely and questions, “Sabbat?”</p><p>She chuckled, “Never.”</p><p>Joanne took a deep breath and removed her hand from the trenchcoat, “Oh thank God! I thought I have to shoot you for a second!” She started laughing and slapped her knee, “But it’s cool to see another independent Tremere around. Like no Anarchs, no Camarilla, none that. I think they called that, ‘Autarkis’. It’s kinda cool honestly. But yeah, just...us, you know? It is an extraordinarily rare sight to see such as us, but it’s just nice to know that we’re a thing that happens.”</p><p>“It’s not like I have a choice.”</p><p>“Well, if you did have a choice. What faction would you choose? Personally, I think all the factions suck ass but I get why people end up with one or the other. I try not to judge people based on that too much. Except for the Sabbat, like why will you do that to yourself? What's wrong with you? Did your parents not love you enough or what?”</p><p>The woman paused, thinking through the question. She answered, “I’m not sure yet… I’m just not going to be a member of Camarilla.”</p><p>Joanne nodded, “Yeah, it’ll be like that sometimes. I didn’t know either, with Camarilla or Anarch. Not Sabbat or the Kuei-jin, that would’ve been suicidal. Being independent isn’t easy either with hundreds of vampires aiming for you of all times, but if you can deal with that heat, it’s completely worth it. It ain’t nothing like it, not even the Anarchs can give you that.” She shrugged, “But that’s just my two cents, man.”</p><p>The bus finally rolled up to the bus stop and Joanne got up from her seat, “Welp, looks like my ride's here. You’re coming?”</p><p>She shook her head, “I need some time to think a bit, there is something I need to take care of.”</p><p>Joanne nodded, “Cool, good luck whatever it is, E. Maybe we’ll see each other again or maybe not, who knows!”</p><p>Joanne walked past the woman, leaving her in peace. She entered the bus and paid the expected amount, the bus driver gave her a funny face but just ignored her. Thank goodness, she thought. She hated the noisy ones who feel the need to question her skin, rather out of true concern or just trying to be an asshole and she has to give the same response for every one of them. Green skin is a real human condition, of course, extraordinary rare but it happens.</p><p>It was filled with a crowd of normal drunk people since it wasn’t too late at night so far, the crackheads usually come out around one. She lowers her head, trying not to bring too much attention to herself. There can be a hunter around here just searching for some undead creatures around here and honestly, she is tired of dealing with hunters after what happened to her Gangrel friend. She sat down next to the window at the back of the bus, her favorite spot (well that’s everyone’s favorite spot). The bus driver started driving down the road to the next bus stop as Joanne just scan around the bus for any potential dangers. No one looked really suspicious as for right now, just people just minding their own business.</p><p>She stared at the wide glassed window and view the world outside it. Humans talking to one another, bright lights shining through the night, and cars are constantly honking at one another because someone is too impatient to wait for two seconds. There was also the classic bad driving that is so lovely that you can hardly get it anywhere else; some asshole almost hit the passengers at the sidewalk, knock one of the street lamplights down and she can hear a young man yelling to someone from the top of his lungs from here about his driving skills being superb. Sadly, the bus drove away before she can watch the full event in front of her very eyes. The bus shifts through the road, taking stops for almost each bus stop. It reminded her of when she went to Seattle for the first time at the age of eight. While she doesn’t remember too much of her trip to Seattle, she liked watching the city being up and alive at night. Now, she misses her small town where she goes outside and can stare at the tall beautiful trees forever. It’s always quite quiet during the night. She loved roaming around the street with her old friends just chatting up about the newest games or trying to find weird mysteries together.</p><p>She closed her eyes and try to think of anything else but the past. All she can think of how much all the people in her life have grown up before her. Everyone was in their thirties or early forties now, but she can never age again. However, she can’t be thinking like this. It’s all over, let it go.</p><p>She opened her eyes and put her earplugs on, putting on some metal music to sink the sadness deep inside of her with a smile on her face or an attempt at a smile. This is Joanne now, whatever she was back then hardly matter. That Joanne couldn’t do half of the shit she can do now.</p><p>It shouldn’t take too long to reach her out of here, sure it would’ve been nice for Katie to drive her out here like she promised but she can figure out how to get out. She got out here with little to nothing but her backpack and her little Malkavian friend to help her out before. All that ponders her mind is where exactly was she going to go now? Sure she hated California, bad memories of her sire and all, but at the same time, she didn’t really have a plan where she would go next. Las Vegas is cool and all, but didn’t the Prince told her not to come back after interrupting one of their mafias by her heart-warming present of a TNT? There was practically nowhere of interest in Arizona so far and watched her friend being killed made her want to stay away from it. She can’t go back to Washington, not unless everyone from her old life was dead and that will take some years to do. Boston? That reminded her of Fallout 4 and that’s not even the worst thing to think about. Florida, well, Florida is Florida.</p><p>She can probably hide somewhere in California for a bit, maybe just not in Los Angeles. She never really got to visit outside the popular areas of California after all with college, her Ph.D. degree, and being a vampire. She can make a temporary haven until she finds an ideal location to visit instead. She is one of the few Kindred that likes to travel after all. Somewhere unknown and hardly any vampires will visit. Redding? Quincy? San Francisco? She once heard the Prince at San Francisco was a cool dude if there was one over there but that was years ago. Way before her time really. Her dumbass boyfriend couldn’t even Embrace her outside the main city that doesn’t have LaCroix’s dick cheese all over it, maybe he would’ve stayed alive if he did. He still never really answers all her questions like why didn’t he just ghoul her instead?</p><p>She did want to see Mitnick before she leaves, she needed to bitch about the newer Fallouts after all. Of course, she has to bump into Gary and Imalia but they’re tolerable. Well, Imalia on the other hand, but she didn’t really have any problems with Gary. He’ll be more interested to see her around after all these years than anything else so long as she didn’t feed him with information. Although it takes one good sight to see what’s been going on with her.</p><p>The bus stopped for the hundredth stop, letting in one individual inside the ride. Joanne looks down at the wristwatch, it was twelve-forty and unfortunately, she was nowhere near her hotel yet. She rolled her eyes and crossed her arms, she didn’t think it will take this long to get to her place.</p><p>She turned around and noticed a dark-skinned strange man lightly sitting down next to her. His face appeared to slowly peel off a little and his mouth widened open with black oil dripping down. His angular inanimate body stood there and stare directly at the bus driver with his wide red eyes. On the left arm of his jacket, a symbol of a skull with one single red eye glowing. This was definitely a red flag of a work of Kindred who disregards the Masquerade or probably something worst and she has no interest to follow up on what’s behind this.</p><p>As she just about to get off of her seat and reaches for her trenchcoat pocket, the man rotated his head towards her and glared down into her glowing eyes. She immediately slouches down on her seat and her eyes stare deeply into the pure nothingness of his eyes was draining every ounce of energy she has in her body, her eyes blink slowly and try to move away from his eyes. She knew Kindred can do strange things to one another without a single word, but this was quite a new one. She removes her hand from her trench coat and lies down in the bus seat. Her eyes shut down, unable to resist it, and fell into her slumber.</p><p>…</p><p>Her eyes open up from the flicking lights and were introduced to the sight of a white ceiling with dirt and small red spots covering it, the ants crawling out from the small crack of the ceiling, and flies flutters around her. The ceiling light brightens into her naked eyes and covers her eyes with her arm. She lifts herself from the bathroom tiles, groaning from the distressing pain aching all over her body and her hand discerns the moist warm liquid on the floor. A strong rich aroma whiff into her nose and the smell of it is familiar to her, too familiar for her liking. Blood, it was the pleasured smell of blood, and the Beast smiles and whispers to her ear to let it out from the odor alone. Other than the intoxicating smell of human blood, the smell of burnt gunpowder swirls around the air, and under her foot, a golden .223 Remington cartridge on the white vandalized bathroom tiles with a pond of blood confirms her suspicion of shooting has happened. The bloodbath encircles the destroyed bathroom and the walls were almost covered with bullet holes. She stared down at herself, the now ripped trenchcoat filled with holes and blood smears all over her. Can’t tell if hers or someone else’s, maybe both.</p><p>She looked through the pockets of her trench coat, empty from every little pocket she can reach. Not only she was kidnapped but robbed blind by possibly some Kindred who she must have pissed off. She can only hope there’s nothing out there to get her since she’s going to have to rely on her fists or her blood magic.</p><p>She reaches toward the doorknob, the coldness of the knob makes her question if this is nothing more but a bad dream or it was honestly reality. Ever since that day of her torture, she has been getting pretty surreal nightmares and sometimes found it hard to distinguish between the two. Regardless, she pushes forward the damaged door and her jaw dropped down. A mound of mutilated human corpses lies in the middle of the small living room flat. The lukewarm beaming light hovers on the corpses from the small opened window, the only source of light in the darkroom. Unearthly writings cover the wall in which only gives her a primordial dread. She nearly wanted to hurl from the terrible sight but it wouldn’t do much good, she wanted to get out of this situation before things get worse.</p><p>The one thing she recognizes was the skull with a red glowing eye up at the ceiling wall. The same one from the man’s jacket, it was definitely some kind of icon to some group or figure. Apparently, a group that she has angered enough to put her in this situation, whatever the hell she has done to deserve this. Aside from human corpses, there were a couple of leftover ritual items that hardly matter for her line of work and a small stone idol of a young woman. She quickly grabbed the idol and examine it. The idol was a long-haired sad woman with a long grown, it reminded her of something. Something she never really got herself into but the woman definitely represents someone of importance. It was a useful clue to discover about these people though, perhaps yet another cult she has to deal with. She shoves the idol into her trenchcoat pocket, hoping it wouldn’t fall out.</p><p>She steadily walks into the living room, trying to ignore the horrific sight, and grabbed onto the doorknob to the front door. She quickly turned around, scanning any clues that may have been overlooked but the smell of decay human flesh was too much to bear, and walked outside the apartment.</p><p>The windows, she stared out of the windows, and for the first time in fifteen years, she see the sunlight illuminating the room and furniture but her. Yet this is the first time she experiences the sunlight as a Kindred, knowing full well it will burn her undead flesh to the ground if she dares step close to the sun. The Beast screams from the sheer sight of the sunlight, roaring deep inside of her to flee from the room and escape the horror of the sun. She balled her fists firmly, trying to grasp control of the situation. The sun will hurt her but she can’t let it control her.</p><p>“MA’AM!” She rapidly turned her head and spotted one of the SWAT men pointing his rifle at her. Looking at her outfit and the smell of the gunpowder stronger than before, he’s probably thinking if she was the shooter of this and honestly, she can’t blame him. “Put your hands up!”</p><p>It’s not a good time for the police to be on her shit especially in Los Angeles. Not only the Beast was tempting to escape out of her grasp, she was badly wounded, and the smell of blood is becoming harder to resist from a frenzy but there was a man named Bob from her old life who will love to investigate her thoroughly after discovering the big secret and there’s no doubt in her mind that he was part of the Inquisition as well. She doesn’t have the evidence to back that up, but she doesn’t need evidence, she got her instinct to back her up. She’s not going to jail again, no way, no how. She needed to leave, anywhere but here. What she planned for the moment may be stupid but it’s better than nothing.</p><p>She ran towards the closest window to her, she pulled the lid as the man aimed his gun towards her. She pulled her body outside of the window frame, feeling the sun boiling her green inhuman flesh down to her bones. She bit down her bottom lip, trying to not scream at top of her lungs at the burning pain and maintaining the Beast inside just for a little longer, and threw herself out of the apartment window. Luckily the fall from the building was not too harsh, but staring directly at the blistering and unforgiving sun making her entire body hisses from the burning. It was moments like these that make her understand why others consider their condition a curse from Jehovah, himself.</p><p>Her body landed on a car at the back of the alleyway, a nice safe landing from the fall. The car starts honking loudly and she quickly lifts herself from the car. She needed to escape from the cops and the sun right now, fuck the guy who parked his stupid ass car here.</p><p>She climbs off of the car and started running down the alleyway, trying to find a shade from the light. The sewers were the first thing that came to her mind. She used to hide from the cops in the sewers once, one gotten so bad that she slept down there for weeks. She ran towards the manhole cover and pries it open desperately. She reaches down to the ladder and closed the manhole cover behind her. She climbs down the darkness of the sewers, usually, the Nosfestus hang out here but at this point, Joanne doesn’t really care. It’s her place now and if they got a problem with it, deal with it.</p><p>She landed on the sewer ground, feeling the dirty sewage water on her nice leather boots but she is just more than glad that she escaped from the cops and the sun right now. Although she really uses something to drink, she felt like she hasn’t fed in a long time but with no blood bags, she left with no option now but to wander into the dark smelly sewers and find a safe spot to sleep the day away.</p><p>Joanne knew the sunlight will hurt her, but she thought it will be at least manageable enough to get from point A to point B. Instead, she hardly can contain the Beast from the sight of the light and she can recognize how much she has fallen from her old humanity. Those times where she can smile and laugh with her friends and family in the broad daylight have become a faded memory and replace the intense distress and a firm reminder of what she has been forced to become.</p><p>However, the experience left her a new mystery to uncover. There’s a monster out there, a group that is willing to have a pile of human corpses in a single apartment flat and this group probably left her for dead. Well, they should’ve double check if she was killed because now she got herself a mission to set straight and no one gets away with kidnapping her like that and trying to kill her. Just ask the last asshole who tried. Although this whole event only validated why she didn’t want to go to California in the first place.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>I always pictured Joanne to be only a fan of the classic Fallouts since she was a human during those times (and she ignores the fact Brotherhood of Steel exists), plus it's a little satire of those fans who only hate newer Fallout because it's newer Fallout.  I do believe that the modern games wouldn't give her the same rush as the classics and shooting NPCs don't do much if you can go around shooting people in real life and you got like superpowers along with it. I dunno if I'll continue the one-sided story of Joanne being in Los Angeles again and just being an asshole. I did have a lot of fun doing something that was just overly goofy. There's a lot of other references in the story but I didn't want all of them on the nose (or they were just obscure enough that not a lot of people are aware of it and possibly for the best).</p><p>If you're aware of those lyrics I have shown you are from, then I'm not sure how to feel about that but awesome.</p></blockquote></div></div>
</body>
</html>